the survivor
by tatty ted
Summary: Nicki thought she could escape the past. She was wrong. - —Nicki/Tom. —Full Summary inside. *ON HIATUS*
1. i — eeny, meeny

**full summary** — In a small town near Yorkshire, brunette women are being kidnapped and turning up dead five days later. Each victim has a letter carved in their stomach and the police have no suspects, witnesses or evidence. Then, they're given a tip-off about a victim who survived. The only trouble is, the survivor is no where to be found.

/

THE SURVIVOR.

/

_eeny, meeny, miny, moe,  
catch a piggy by its toe,  
if it cries, let it go,  
eeny, meeny, miny, moe._

/

She struggled against the restrains on her wrists, "Please. Please let me go."

The man who she thought was no older than forty laughed, "But darling, the funs only just started."

She'd gone for a jog that morning, like she did every morning. Although it was dark, she still stuck to the same route and she didn't think anything would happen. She'd turned into a back alley when a heavy object hit the back of her head. After that, she couldn't remember anything other than waking up, bound to a chair in a celler.

"Please. I'll do anything, just don't hurt me. Please."

"Begging for your life isn't going to make a difference." He told her, "I know exactly what I'm doing with you."

He left her after that. Slammed the celler door closed and left her to think in the dark. He came back hours later, blind-folded her and took her somewhere else. Although she couldn't see, she could hear it involved a journey in the car. She knew she wasn't alone when she reached the place as she heard a voice ask the man if they could go home.

Dumped in the corner, he took off her blindfold and she could make out been in a room somewhere. She thought it had to be nearby as she didn't feel like she'd been in the car long enough for it to be far away.

/

"Be good girls." He whispered and left again, the door bolting shut behind him.

She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. Her stomach hurt and she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. She felt tears beginning to pool in her eyes and she chewed her lower lip. She couldn't cry. If she did she knew she wouldn't stop.

"Hi." It was a voice of a girl and she smiled a little, "Hey."

"I'm Millie."

"Nicki. Nice to meet you Millie."

"You too." The girl answered back and there was a silence between them. Neither of them knew what to say. It was hardly appropriate to ask how they both were when they were stuck in a place they didn't know and were hungry.

"How long have you been here?" Nicki eventually asked, breaking the silence between the two.

"Four days. I'll be gone tomorrow." The girl answered without a care in the world. Nicki looked over to where the voice was coming from but was unable to see anything.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be dead." She replied without a hint of emotion, "You stay here for five days and then he blows your brains out."

/

Nicki began to feel scared and it wasn't an emotion she was used too. She never got scared, she never could. There were always too many people relying on her so she bottled up whatever it was she felt inside and smiled.

But she couldn't escape behind that mask this time and a tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't want to die. There were things she hadn't experienced in life. She hadn't married or had children, nor had she seen her sister's baby yet.

In other words, she was too young to die.

/

The girl was right. On the fifth day, she was killed. A gun pressed to her forehead and the trigger pulled. Nicki had experienced her fair share of death but being so close to someone being killed made her vomit.

"You'll be soon." He told Nicki and kissed her lips. And in the days that followed, Nicki spent all day, every day in the dark room. She scratched at the wall in desperation until her nails broke and bled and tried to write a message. That way if she did die, maybe someone would realise she'd been here before her death.

On day four, the door opened and another girl was led into the room. Like Nicki, she was placed in the corner and her blindfold was taken off. And like what he told Nicki, he said that he hoped they'd be good and left them to become friendly with each other.

"I'm Nicki." She told the girl.

"Olivia, Liv." She whispered softly and asked the same question Nicki did, "How long have you been here?"

"Four days. I'll be dead tomorrow." Nicki answered but she knew tomorrow, she wouldn't die. She was born a fighter and she was going to fight back. But it looked a lot harder than she thought with a gun to her head.

/

He knelt down on his knees and pressed the gun to her forehead. With a smirk, he placed his finger on the trigger and looked deep into her eyes. She took a deep breath and realised that it was impossible to get out of this situation.

Instead, she closed her eyes and waited for death to come to her.

/

But it didn't.

/

When she opened her eyes, she could make out two figures fighting. The gun had fallen to the side of the room and Nicki crawled on her hands and knees. Picking up the gun, she aimed it at the man and shot him in the leg.

"Argh! Fucking stupid bitch." He muttered as Nicki dropped the gun and stood up. Seeing as she hadn't been upright in five days, she felt weak. Looking over at the girl, she grabbed her hand and they both ran to the opened door.

She didn't know how she'd get out. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Running up the stairs, she saw a window open and she told Olivia to climb through. Olivia shook her head and told Nicki she should go first. Nicki, knowing _this_ was the only way to escape, climbed onto the window ledge.

She managed to get out but just as Olivia climbed onto the window ledge, the sound of a gunshot filled the silent garden. The body of the girl slumped backwards and Nicki sighed. She knew she had to leave. Climbing over the garden fence, she began to run for her life knowing if she didn't, she'd die.

/

Squeezing through the gap in the railings, she found herself running through an empty field. The sky ahead was a dark violet colour, the wind running through her hair and she felt weak and tired. She didn't know how long she'd been running, it felt like hours!

She ran through nettles, the painful welts running up her arms and her legs but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. If she did, he'd catch up. She reached a chain-link fence, climbed over it and into the other field beyond.

She didn't realise how poor the conditions were and she found her foot catching in a tangle of roots. Falling to the floor heavily, she gashed her cheek on a rock and caught her hair in the brambles. Crying out in pain, she pulled herself free and began to hobble off into the distance.

/

Reaching the end of the bushes, she scanned the area and found everything spinning. Before she could react, she collapsed on the floor, exhaustion finally taking it's toll on her fragile body.

/

She opened her eyes, the bright lights causing her head to hurt. She closed them again and tried to sit up but her whole body ached all over. Almost like she'd been in a fight with Mike Tyson. She was about to turn on her side when the voice of somebody disturbed her.

Opening her eyes again, she blinked several times and saw a Doctor stood at the end of her bed, "Welcome back to the living."

She smiled weakily, not even realising she was in hospital. The last thing she could remember was being help captive and escaping.

"What can you remember?"

"Nothing." She whispered, "May I have a glass of water, please?"

The Doctor disappeared for a minute and came back with a plastic cup of water. She ignored the aches and pains in her body and sat up, clutched the paper cup and took a mouthful. The Doctor scribbled a few notes on the paper and placed the clipboard back on the end of the bed.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Nicki. Nicki Boston." The Doctor nodded and began to explain that she was brought in unconscious after being found on the side of a road. She nodded her head as the Doctor explained that she was suffering from dehydration, exhaustion and had a couple of bruises. He told her she'd make a full recovery if she took it easy.

/

She left town a week after being discharged from the hospital. She couldn't stay in a town that held so many painful memories. On the day of her move, she brought the newspaper because an article on the front page caught her attention.

_Alphabet killer strikes again._

According to the newpaper, he carved the letter of the victim's name into their stomach. Nicki lifted up her teeshirt and stared at the letter N that had been carved into her stomach. It was still red raw and she trailed her finger along it, she wondered how she'd possibly explain it to future boyfriends.

She moves down south for a while, only until she found something more permanent. She told her family she'd visit but she didn't stick to that promise. It was difficult with the alphabet killer still out there, no doubt hunting for her because she was the one who got away.

/

_"You can always run but you can't hide." He laughs before pressing the gun to her forehead and pulling the trigger._

She screams and sits up in bed in a cold sweat. It's been six months since she was captured and almost killed by a crazed psycho and she still had nightmares. It was the same recurring dream every evening. She'd be running and she'd fall and he'd catch her. Then, he'd taunt her and shoot her dead.

Her life had changed in six months. She was living in Rochdale and teaching English at the local comprehensive school. The only thing that hadn't changed was the fear. She still found herself looking over her shoulder, wondering if he was behind her and buying his time.

"Get real Nicki, he can't hurt you anymore." She told herself and lay back down. She was telling herself the truth wasn't she? He couldn't find her here, she was miles away from the town she once called home. So why did she have that sick feeling in her stomach like something was going to go horribly wrong?

/

**notes —** longest prologue i've ever written, i hope you like it, (yn) if you do favourite/alert, don't forget to leave me a review. i love reviews so much, who doesn't? this story will eventually feature some tom and nicki love in later chapters so stay tuned. also, if anyone has twitter follow me; i'm xbreaktheice.


	2. ii — we'll fly with a broken wing

**notes —** a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited the last chapter :3

/

CHAPTER ONE.

/

_she keeps an eye on the sky,_  
_with a broken wing,_  
_she carries her dreams,_  
_man, you oughta see her fly._

/

Wrapping the duvet around her tightly, she tried to bring her breathing under control. She looked at the clock on the beside table and noticed it was a little after four, or four minutes past four to be precise. She wondered why every night for as long as she could remember, she woke up at this time.

She grabbed the teddy bear off the bedside table, held it close and tried to go back to sleep.

/

The second time she woke was before six thirty. She got out of bed and made the bed up before heading into the bathroom. Leaning over, she turned on the shower, took off her clothes and stepped inside. As the water droplets hit her, she closed her eyes and thought back to the dream she had.

_She's running, running, running. The wind's blowing, whispering words into her ears that she's going to get it. She keeps going, she can't stop. Looking behind her, she sees a clown chasing her. She doesn't like clowns, she never has done. She catches her foot in a rock and falls to the ground. _

_She tries to get back up but she can't, something is stopping her. She bites her lip, tries to scream but no words will come out. Then, he's standing over her. He's got a gun and that sick smile on his face, "You can always run but you can't hide." Then he presses the gun to her head but before he pulls the trigger, she wakes up. _

/

It's weird. The nightmare she has. It's the same every night. He finds her and kills her. But perhaps, deep in her subconsciousness, her biggest fear is for him to find her. Maybe that's why she has the nightmares, she wonders and picks up the shampoo bottle.

She squeezes a blob of apple shampoo on her hands and massages it into her hair. Then when she's rinsed the shampoo out, she picks up the conditioner bottle and repeats what she did earlier. Then, when she's finished; she turns off the shower and steps out, grabbing the towel off the radiator.

Nicki goes back into the bedroom and looks around the room. It's not very big but the space is enough for her. She takes out her underwear from the dresser beside the bed and walks over to the wardrobe and takes out a clean pair of trousers and a white blouse.

After getting ready, she sits on the edge of the bed with a hairdryer in her hand and blow dries her hair. The effort a woman has to go through in order to look half decent first thing in the morning, she thinks as she checks the time.

Finally, when she'd finished she left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. As she picked up the kettle and put some cold water in, she switched it on and left it to boil for a couple of minutes. She looked around and smiled to herself. She'd decorated this place well.

She moved in six weeks before she was due to go for an interview at Waterloo Road Comprehensive, renting the flat for three hundred and fifty a month. She fell in love with it the moment she saw it despite the problems and she set herself a challenge. She was going to make it beautiful in six weeks.

She blew all her savings and at the time, Nicki regretted it. Those savings were there in case something ever happened to her. Now, she was just grateful she had somewhere to live. Opening the cupboard above the cooker, she took out a mug and placed it in front of the kettle.

/

Once the kettle had boiled, she made herself a coffee, opened the bread bin and took out a slice of brown bread. Then, she picked up a butter knife, opened the fridge and took out the butter. When she had finished, she carried her slice of bread and her coffee to the table and sat down.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she broke a tiny piece of her bread and placed it into her mouth. Ever since childhood, she hadn't been a big eater. She remembered as a child, she was always bigger than everybody else. Puppy fat her mother always called it, she'd grow out of it.

She did and she didn't. As a teenager she was stunning, had that figure everybody dreamed off. It was that figure that got her into trouble, made her who she was today. She broke off another piece and again placed it into her mouth. She ate almost like a baby, tiny mouthfuls like she was worried about eating too much.

She threw away half of the bread, convincing herself she was full. Downing her black coffee in one, she stood up from the table and walked into the living room. Grabbing her coat off the back of the settee and her handbag she took her keys from next to the television and put on her coat.

Leaving the flat, she locked the door behind her and walked down the stairs. She decided to walk to work today rather than take the car as it was nice weather outside. She didn't live too far away from the school, a twenty-five minute walk depending on how fast or slow she was walking.

/

Nicki felt someone was watching her and a chill ran down her spine. What if he was here, in Rochdale? What if he knew where she was?

"You're paranoid." She told herself but she didn't feel like she was imagining things. As she walked through the park, she was certain she saw a shadow run into the trees but she bit her lower lip, took a deep breath and told herself to stop being silly. Her mind was playing tricks, it had to be.

/

She stared into her coffee cup for a minute or two until the headline of a page caught her attention.

_Serial killer on the loose? _Putting down her coffee cup on the table, she picked up the newspaper and began to read the page.

_A police investigation into the death of a young woman have Detective's believing the killing is linked to others in the area. The woman's body, found yesterday morning at 3am on the outskirts of Rochdale is yet to be indentified but police are confident they will have a name by this afternoon. Postmortem results on the victim found that the victim died from a single gunshot wound to the head. As we went to press, no officers from Littleborough Police Station was available to comment._

Nicki finished reading the newspaper, folded it back exactly how it was and left it back on the table. Then she picked up her coffee cup and stared at the bottom. After reading that she was almost certain she hadn't been imagining things this morning but who'd believe her?

Nobody, just like always.

"Right Nicki?" A familiar voice broke through her thoughts and as she looked up, her eyes fell upon Tom, "Hmm?" She answered back.

"It doesn't matter." He answered and she didn't verbally reply. Instead, she nodded, put her coffee down on the table again and left the staffroom. As she did, Tom watched her, knowing that there was something different about her today. He couldn't quite put his finger on what though.

Finishing his coffee, he placed his mug in the bowl of soapy water and tried to find her.

/

She was stood in the toilets, her shirt pulled her. She kept running her finger along the scar and wondered how he found her. That's if it was him who was killing the latest girls and women in and around Rochdale. How did he find her when she changed her appearance and moved god knows how many miles away from home?

/

_He threw her down on the floor and tightened the restrains on her wrists. Then he pulled up her teeshirt exposing her stomach and took out a knife. It caught the light from outside and he smirked as he pressed it into her stomach._

_She cried out in pain but he put a hand over her mouth and told her to shut up. Otherwise, it wouldn't be just her stomach being sliced, if she understood what he meant. She nodded, agreed to keep silent and as he carved a perfect N into her stomach, she chewed her lower lip._

_The pain was unbearable. The worst pain she'd ever felt and Nicki had been through some horrendous stuff in life. When he finished, it was sore and bleeding, the blood soaking her teeshirt. She just curled up into a ball and cried. Her stomach was her best feature and now it was scarred._

_Just like the rest of her._

/

She was deep in thought that she hadn't noticed Tom stood there, watching her.

"Nicki?" She looked at him and gently pulled down her blouse but it was too late. He'd seen the scar. There was nothing spoken between them, they just watched each other before he took a small step towards her, "Nicki?"

She swallowed hard and went to move. He grabbed her wrist, "Talk to me, please."

* * *

**notes — **if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review.  
so here's a little bit of tom/nicki. i don't want to run straight into the relationship, i want to build it up. :3


	3. iii — you said you wouldn't hurt me

**notes —** a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited the last chapter :3

/

CHAPTER TWO.

/

_i would hold you in my arms,  
i would take the pain away,  
thank you for all you've done,  
forgive all your mistakes._

/

There's nothing but silence between them, their eyes connecting until Nicki pulls her wrist away and leaves. He just stays fixed to the spot, horrified at what he saw and determined to discover exactly how Nicki got that scar.

/

She spent all day avoiding him. Every time he saw her in the corridor she made up an excuse not to talk to him. It was always the same, "I'm busy Tom, can it wait?" And he'd nod, agree that it could whilst deep down, knowing she was trying to avoid him.

She spent her lunchtime in the toilets, sat on the sinks; something which took her back to her teenage years. As a teenager, she began to show signs of bulimia. She remembered being jealous of her best friend's figure, she asked how she got it.

And the words, _"i make myself sick." _Put her on that path of a downhill spirall, the path she still finds it difficult to leave behind.

/

She was packing away at the end of the school day when Tom appeared at the door, "Fancy a drink?"

She smiled softly, "I can't, I have to get home."

"At least let me take you home?" He asked and she smiled a little and thought about it. He was really trying to get her alone, bless him. Nodding, she agreed and as they left the school, there was nothing but silence between them.

She got in the passenger seat and he got in the driver's side. He put the keys in the ignition and started the engine. Again, there was no conversation between the two, Nicki was just looking out of the window, watching the buildings past by.

He pulled up outside the block of flats and turned off the engine. She took off her seatbelt, put a hand on the door handle and turned to Tom, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He answered back and was silent for a second, "How did you—"

"Just leave it, please." She opened the car door, stepped out and slammed the car door closed. As she fumbled in her handbag to find her keys, she heard another door slam shut and carried on up the steps to the front door.

"Nicki?" He called, "Talk to me."

She carried on ignoring him. She wanted to turn around, to scream everything at him but she knew she couldn't. One she worked with him and two, he'd only walk away once he found out the truth. Her faith had never been restored in men since _he_ did that to her.

He caught up with her by the door, grabbed her arm and said; "I want you to talk to me."

"Which part of leave it, don't you understand?" She answered back and pulled her arm free. As she got to the door, she noticed that it was pushed open and she frowned. She was certain that she had locked the door this morning.

/

As she stepped into the house, she gasped.

/

The place had been ransacked. All her funiture was thrown about the floor as well as her picture frames and other valubles. She stepped over the mess carefully and went into the bedroom. Like the living room, that had been ransacked too, a message left on the wall.

_I've found you._

It was written in red paint and Nicki shivered. She didn't want it to be true. She didn't want him to have found her! She didn't want him to destroy everything she had built around her or to try and kill her again. She felt herself beginning to cry and she heard Tom ask what had happened outside.

"Just go. I'll tidy up." She said but he wouldn't have any of it, he insisted on helping.

/

She sat on the floor, picking up the picture frames being careful not to cut herself on the broken glass. Tom knelt in front of her and touched her cheek with his right hand.

"You don't want to talk, I won't make you talk. I just want you to know, you can tell me _anything _and I promise, I'll never judge you and I definitely won't walk away."

And to Nicki it was like being young again. Stranded between her heart and her head. She wasn't one to trust easily but with Tom everything was different. It was almost like he was the colour in her black and white world. Not to mention the feelings she got in his company.

But she also doubted their friendship. _If _he discovered the real Nicki Boston, what was stopping him from walking away? He said he wouldn't but she heard those words so many times she didn't need believe them anymore. With his fingers stroking her cheek gently, Nicki knew what she had to do.

* * *

**notes —** if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review. alright, i'm not going to lie. i am finding it really difficult to write this story at the moment. i don't have the attention spam for a chaptered story. my mind keeps getting distracted. because of that, i apologise for the rubbish in this chapter, forgive me? :3


	4. iv — is it okay to trust you?

**notes —** a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited the last chapter :3

/

CHAPTER THREE.

/

_i've taken all i can take,_  
_and i cannot wait,_  
_we're wasting too much time_  
_being strong, holding on._

_/_

As he stroked her cheek again, Nicki put her hand on his, "Please just go."

He looked deep into her eyes. He knew if he got up and walked away, he'd only make her believe every man in her life was going to hurt her, "I'm not leaving you."

"If you don't, you'll only get hurt." She stated.

"Well that's just a risk I'm going to have to take, isn't it?" He answered with a smile. She made eye contact and for the first time since she got home, she smiled. He removed his hand from her cheek, stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

/

There's no conversation exchanged between the two, the house silent except the slight creaking of the boiler. There was a black binbag in the middle of the living room floor and Nicki picked up a couple of shads of glass and placed them into the bag.

"Whose this?" Tom asked. In his hand was a photograph of a toddler with bold brown eyes and brown curls. She smiled at the memory, "My niece Daisy."

"She looks just like you." He answered as he put the photograph on the fireplace. She smiled. He wasn't the first person to comment on how much Daisy looked like Nicki. Then again, what can you expect from an aunt and niece?

He picked up two other photographs and placed them beside the photograph of her niece. It was only then when he heard Nicki swear and turned his attention to her, "You alright?" She laughed and nodded, removing her hand to show Tom the slight cut in the palm of her other hand.

/

As she was running the cut underneath the cold water tap, Tom was rooting through her kitchen cupboards trying to find her first aid kit, "Do you have one?"

"Of course." She answered back with a smile, "It's in the cupboard next to you."

He shut the cupboard door and opened the cupboard next to him. Finding the first aid back, he opened it and pulled out what he needed, "Sit at the table."

"I can do this myself." She replied but still sat down at the table. He picked up the antiseptic wipe and gently began to clean the wound. She nibbled her bottom lip as the cut began to sting but she didn't say a thing. He gently placed a piece of bandage over the cut and wrapped a bandage around the wound.

She looked down at his handy work and smiled a little, "Thanks."

He finished and smiled back at her. Then he closed the first aid kit and returned it to the cupboard before washing his hands underneath the tap. He sat back down at the table and noticed that Nicki was deep in thought.

He knew when she was thinking because she chewed her lower lip softly. It was the only thing she had no control over and he thought it was cute. Yes, Tom Clarkson did find Nicki Boston attractive but who wouldn't? She was a very attractive woman.

/

Silence again.

He just watched her until he noticed that a tear had rolled down her cheek and landed on the table. He got up from the kitchen chair, walked towards her and knelt down in front of her, "Nicki, you're crying."

"I'm fine." She answered back and tried to wipe away all evidence that she'd been crying. He didn't say a thing. He still knelt infront of her.

"Hold me." She whispered and he wrapped his arms around her as she buried her head into his shoulder and began to cry.

/

"All better now?" He asked as she stopped crying a short while later. She nodded and he wiped away the tears that were still resting on her cheeks. She was glad to have a friend like Tom but oh god, how she wanted to have that little bit more.

"Tom?" She grabbed his hand as he stood up. He looked down at her hand on his and back up at her, "Don't leave."

He agreed not to go home that night and to stay with her.

/

She was lay in bed, her head on his chest staring at the lettering on the wall. _"i've found you."_

"Who's found you?" It was Tom's voice that broke through her thoughts and she sighed, "The man who made my scar."

"What did he do to you?"

And she didn't even think before opening her mouth and telling him, "I was held hostage for five days. On the fifth day you die. I saw one girl die, she was called Millie." She swallowed hard, "If it wasn't for Olivia, I'd be dead too. She saved my life and I couldn't save hers. He shot her in front of me and I watched her die."

She began to cry again, her body beginning to shake violently. He whispered that it was going to be okay whilst running his fingers through her hair unaware that soon, both their lives would change dramatically.

* * *

**notes —** *hands paperbag to people* go on, throw up your guts at how sickly this chapter was. i do apologise. it was never meant to turn out this way but i think we need a little bit of fluff every now and then yeah? please if you alert/favourite, don't be afraid to review. merci ;3


	5. v — all about us

**notes —** a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited the last chapter :3

/

CHAPTER FOUR.

/

_hold on tight, hold onto me,  
'cause tonight it's all about us_

/

Tom woke up, Nicki's arms around his ribcage and her head on his chest. He smiled at the sight, god, she really was beautiful when she slept. As he moved slightly to get more comfortable, he disturbed her and she began to stir.

Although still half asleep, Nicki realised she wasn't alone in bed and smiled against his chest, "Morning." He said to her gently and it was only when she sat up and rubbed her eyes that she realised that for the first time in _forever_, she hadn't had her recurring nightmare.

"Morning." She answered back, "Thank you for staying last night."

"You're welcome." He answered then nothing. Just silence. He kissed her forehead, got up off the bed and asked, "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee please." He disappeared into the kitchen and Nicki remembered their conversation the previous night. She hated herself for telling him what was wrong, after all, he'd only use the information to blackmail or something stupid like that which many other people had done.

"You stupid woman." She thought. How could she let something like this happen?

/

He returned to the bedroom a couple of minutes later carrying two cups of coffee. He handed one to Nicki before placing the other on the bedside table. He seated himself back next to Nicki who once again, was silent.

There was nothing exchanged between the pair for a minute until Nicki broke the silence; "Don't think you know me because I've told you two things about me."

The comment was cold and brash. Although it hurt him, Tom knew she didn't mean it. She had to realise she could trust him and he wasn't going to be like everyone else in her life. He wasn't going to hurt her. He couldn't do that.

"I want to get to know you." He answered back, "Believe it or not, I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't respond to that. Instead, she stared at the dark brown liquid inside her cup and let her thoughts overtake her.

/

"Have you got any plans for today?" He asked and when he got no response, he looked at her and gently touched her arm, "Nicki?"

"Hmm." She answered, still staring at the coffee in her cup, "Sorry."

"I asked if you're doing anything today?"

"Still tidying up this place." She sighed at the thought. Although her and Tom had worked through much of it yesterday, there was still a lot to be doing. Not to forget, she still needed to scrub the words of the wall, "Why do you ask?"

Tom didn't know how to answer. As he took a sip of his coffee, he decided to ask her outright. What was the worst that could happen? Rejection.

"Would you like dinner tonight? Just as friends." They made eye contact and she nodded, "I'd like that, thanks Tom."

/

_"Is six-thirty okay?" _He asked over the phone as Nicki held the phone between her shoulder and her ear. She was painting the bedroom wall a lavender colour trying to get rid of the horrible words on the wall.

"That's fine." She answered, "I'll look forward to seeing you."

And they ended the conversation with a goodbye and she threw her mobile onto the bed. She continued to paint the bedroom, moving the funiture around the bedroom oblivious to the fact time was ticking by and she had a dinner date to attend.

As she started to paint the fourth wall, the doorbell rang and she turned to the clock. Her eyes widened in horror as she realised it was now twenty-five past six and she had completely forgotten about Dinner with Tom.

Putting her paintbrush down, she walked to the door and opened it, "Tom, I'm ever so sorry."

Her eyes fell upon Tom in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt. He loved, what's the word, lush! He laughed at the state of her. She looked flushed, coloured paint on her cheeks and she was wearing baggy jeans and an oversized teeshirt. He told her not to worry and that if she wanted to have dinner, they could have it at home.

"Thank you." She whispered and opened the door further so he could come in.

/

"You don't have to get your shirt dirty. I can finish this on my own."

"I know, I want to help." He told her and picked up another paint brush. As he put it in the paint, there was silence between the two before Tom put some paint on his fingers and called Nicki. As she turned around, he put little dots of paint on her cheeks.

Dropping her paint brush onto the ground, she gasped; "Oh my god, you're so dead!"

He laughed as she picked up the can of paint and stared at him. She had a certain devious sparkle in her eyes, "Nicki you wouldn't—" He began but couldn't finish his sentence because Nicki had thrown the paint over him.

Now it was her turn to laugh and Tom answered; "You'll pay for that." She began to walk backwards as he walked towards her until she felt her back being pressed into the wall. He stood in front of her, their eyes connected and their lips only inches apart.

"The wall's wet." She whispered and he smiled before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

**notes —** if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please review. (:


	6. vi — darkest days

**notes —** a massive thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited the last chapter :3

/

CHAPTER FIVE.

/

_& maybe i'll work out  
a way to make it back some day,  
to watch you, to guide you,  
through the darknest of your days._

/

They kissed. Well technically, he kissed her. She couldn't believe it was happening. His lips were so soft and gentle and then she realised. She was letting him get too close to her, and that was against everything Nicki had told herself.

She pushed him away, "Tom? What are you doing?"

He looked at Nicki guilty, he knew he'd crossed the line but she was too tempting not too. He didn't say anything for a second, grabbed her hand in his and said; "Nicki, you're the most beautiful, strong, inspirational people I've ever met and, I love you."

She never believed she was loveable so she took her hand away from his and whispered, "I need to think."

He accepted that, kissed her forehead and told her he'd always be there. Then he left her alone to think. She was confused. Of course she was attracted to him but did she love him? Not at that moment in time, she didn't but she supposed she could love him.

But what if he was only using her? What if he discovered how damaged she really was and left? Just like everybody else in her sad, lonely life.

/

Take a risk. That's what everybody said. Although she risked some things in life, her sanity and her love life didn't fall into that. Nicki turned around at the wall she'd painted and smiled slightly at the outline of a body on the lavender paint.

She walked into the bathroom, put the plug into the plug hole and turned on the hot tap. As she was in the bathroom, she heard the front door open again and she called out, "Tom, is that you?"

"No Nicki, it's me." The voice. She recognised the voice and she stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes fell upon one person who continued to haunt her dreams, six months after the incident.

"Remember me?" He asked and she nodded, "How can I forget you?"

/

He caressed her cheek with his hand and she closed her eyes, trying to block it out. Oh god, how she wished she hadn't sent Tom away. Tom was the person she needed more than anything right now.

"Look at me." He said gently and she opened her eyes. His eyes were a murky green colour and so cold. He smirked at his victim and kissed her lips gently. He'd missed her. She was the only one who'd put a fight and managed to escape.

He was determined to kill her, when he did, his alphabet would be complete. N was the only one missing. With his spare hand, he lifted up her teeshirt to see the scar he'd made on her stomach. Removing his hand from her cheek, he thumbed the letter.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

She swallowed, still not answering him. He repeated the question and she nodded, "Yes, it's beautiful."

"Who did it?"

"You did it." She answered as he laughed. He put a hand over her throat, looked deep into her eyes and said gently, "Say goodbye to your life Nicki." He pressed her throat harder and she choked and struggled to breathe.

/

She groaned as she woke up. She didn't know where she was, she was somewhere other than home. It was a dark place which if she remembered, she'd been once before. She tried to put her hands out to sit up but she couldn't. It was then that she realised that her wrists were bound together.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." She repeated under her breath, "Stupid woman, look what you've got yourself involved in."

She heard the door to the room being unlocked and she took a deep breath. His footsteps along the concrete floor alerted Nicki that he was nearby. He knelt down beside her and placed down a tray with a glass of water and a piece of bread.

"I'm getting food this time?"

"Don't be an ungrateful bitch." He told her and she explained that she wasn't been ungrateful, she was just shocked that he was being considerate. She was surprised too. Why did he want her after all this time?

/

* * *

**notes —** if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please review. (:  
so, will tom be the one to rescue nicki? or will nicki find her own way of escaping, again?


	7. vii — day one

**jottings** — thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter. ;3

/

CHAPTER SIX.

/

_i used to reach for you,  
when i got lost along the way,  
i used to listen, you always had  
just the right thing to say.  
_

_/_

_"stupid cow, stupid cow. look what happens whenever you let someone get close to you? **someone** always gets hurt."_

She tears the slice of bread and eats a little bit. She's thankful it's dry otherwise she wouldn't have eaten it. Her stomach is tossing and turning and it's making her feel quiet queesy. Leaving half of the bread on the plate, she sips the water gently, wondering how long it'll be until he arrives again.

Five days.

Five days of sitting, waiting, wondering.

Five days of knowing exactly how it would end. One bullet lodged in the brain, a pretty scar on the stomach then dumped on the side of the road like a bag of rubbish. That's how her life is going to end, her fate already decided.

/

Tom arrived at school at eight, wanting to get set up early. He was hoping to see Nicki today as he hadn't seen her since last night. He couldn't help but feel guilty for kissing her and crossing the boundaries between the two.

He reached the staff room to find it empty. He didn't think it was strange, Nicki didn't usually arrive until twenty past eight. He took off his coat, placed it on the back of the chair and placed his bag on the table before heading into the small kitchen — if it could be called such a thing.

He took the kettle, filled it up with cold water and turned it on. Learning back on the worktop, he thought about how well his day would go today. He was teaching year eights this morning, he didn't mind them. The majority of them were a pleasure to teach. It was only when they reached year ten that they became a nightmare.

Taking his favourite mug out of the cupboard, he put in a tea-bag and grabbed a tablespoon from the draw. After making his cup of tea, he sat down where he left his bag and watched the clock, hoping to see Nicki and apologise for kissing her.

/

She heard the key in the door and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. He turned on the small light above her head and as he did, she closed her eyes, the sudden burst of light affecting her eyes. She blinked several times as the door closed with a loud bang.

He knelt in front of her and touched her cheek slightly, "Morning beautiful."

His touch made her feel sick to her stomach and she chewed her lower lip slightly. All she wanted was the energy inside to be able to fight him off, kill him to stop him coming back for her when she thought she'd got over it.

She saw he went into his pocket and he pulled out a pen knife. Ripping her teeshirt off, he whispered, "Don't scream." Then, he pressed the metal of the knife into her stomach and she bit her lower lip hard to stop herself crying out.

Slowly, he went over the N that he carved six months ago. When he finished, he watched as the wound bled heavily, stuck his finger in the wound and then licked the blood clean of his fingers, "You taste—beautiful." He told her as a tear rolled down her cheeks.

He saw that he made her cry and he was concerned, "I didn't mean to make you cry." Then he kissed her on the forehead and told her he wouldn't be long, he'd be back in a minute or so. He walked towards the door and closed it with a bang behind him.

/

Nicki didn't turn up for work and understandably Tom was worried because nobody, including Michael had heard anything from her. He knew there was something wrong else why did her house get trashed?

He tried ringing her mobile but everytime he did, he only got the answer machine. He left a message, praying she'd get back to him because he didn't know what to do. He actually felt lost without her presence.

He couldn't really concentrate all day either. He kept thinking, worrying that something terrible had happened to her. He told himself that when he'd finish teaching year eleven at half three, he'd go round to Nicki's to see if she was there.

He pulled up outside the flat and noticed that the curtains were drawn. He wondered if she was ill. He wanted her to be ill. That way it was nothing major but he had a feeling everything was connected to the writing, _i've found you _on the wall.

He reached the door, walked into the double doors and up the stairs. When he finished her flat, he knocked on the door and waited. Silence greated him back. He knocked again and shouted through the letter box, "Nicki, it's me Tom."

/

Silence.

/

He was about to knock again when Nicki's neighbour, an old woman appeared, "She's not in. I saw her go out early this morning."

He looked at the woman and smiled, "Was she alone?"

The woman was silent for a moment or two,"No. She was with a young chap, not much older than you. Come to think of it, she appeared as though she was crying."

Tom thanked the old lady who returned to her flat. He stared at the beige coloured front door and knew that Nicki was in trouble.

/

He had to find her. He had no choice.

* * *

**a/n**: if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review. / only a short chapter, really sorry but i've been really, really busy. fingers crossed one day this week, i can start writing a little bit more etc. thank you for been understanding, it's appreciated.


	8. viii — day two

**jottings** — thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter. ;3

/

CHAPTER SEVEN.

/

_i never meant to start a war,_  
_you know i never wanna hurt you,_  
_don't even know why __we're fighting for._

/

Day two. Alone in the darkness, waiting for a bloody miracle to happen!

"No-one's going to find you." She jumps as his voice breaks through her thoughts, taunting her. She's not alone, he's sat there, watching her like a hunter. His eyes burning holes in her.

"If you let me go, I promise, I won't tell anyone anything." She says. She knows it's most likely pointless but a bit of gentle negotiation never hurt anyone.

"You already did." He answers back, "You told loverboy exactly how you got your scars."

"I didn't say it was you though did I?"

"But how long will it be until you do? A day? A month? A year?" He shook his head, "No. You're too much of a risk. You — you can destroy everything and that's not a risk I'm going to take, sorry darling."

Nicki was always able to think on her feet, it was always one of her strengths, "What if I help you find a new victim?" And even she was shocked at what she asked. Then again, it was a matter of life or death. She'd do anything to save her life.

/

He left her alone after her question, he needed time to think. He could trade Nicki in for a younger, prettier model, one who wouldn't give him attitude and be more willing to participate in games.

But it was a risk. What if she didn't stick to her side of the deal? What if she grassed and brought his empire crashing down around him?

/

She bit her thumbnail hoping he was going to accept her deal. If he did, the quicker she could get the hell out of here and leave Rochdale before anybody else got caught up in her complicated life.

She'd never put her worst enemy through this. This was the meaning of hell. She heard the lock of the door being unlocked and his footsteps along the concrete until he stopped in front of her and knelt down to her level.

"You'll help me find a new victim?"

She swallowed hard, "Yeah, I will but I'll only do that if you let me go."

"How do I know you'll stick to your end of the deal?"

She paused, "Because I'm leaving. I'll give up my job, I'll leave Rochdale."

Now he was silent. It was almost as if he was thinking what a great idea it would be. After a couple of minutes, he nodded his head and answered, "Fine. You've got yourself a deal but do anything stupid and I'll kill you. Understood?"

"Of course I understand."

/

Tom sat his desk and wondered why the hell Nicki could be. He realised how little he knew Nicki. He didn't know where she lived before moving to Rochdale or her family, except the niece that was briefly mentioned when he was last at the flat.

He didn't know if she had friends outside of work and he realised this was going to be harder than he thought.

/

He stood outside her front door and looked around. He'd knocked on the door of some people in the building, most seemed to be out so he kicked the door down. He had a convincing cover tale if the police happened to come knocking.

He looked around the flat. It was exactly how they'd left it. Emaculate, nothing out of place.

As he walked towards the cupboard, he pulled a draw out and shuffled through the contents. There was nothing of interest or help that could pinpoint where Nicki could possibly be. That was until he reached the second draw.

Inside where hundreds of newspaper clippings, all which followed the story of The Alphabet Killer. A killer who kidnapped his victims, carved their letter into them and killed them five days later.

/

Tom was terrified.

If this — this man was the one to find Nicki, he realised he only had three days to find her. Otherwise, he'd lose her forever.

* * *

**jottings **— if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review. :3


	9. ix — day three

**jottings** — thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter. ;3

/

CHAPTER EIGHT.

/

_& you fall, & you crawl_  
_& you break & you take_  
_what you get & you turn_  
_it into . . ._

/

**DAY THREE.**

On day three, he hands her a notebook. It's small, coloured brown with scribbles on the front. It's almost like something one of the pupils would do at school. She wonders what's important — or not so important as he's given it to her.

"Open it." He says. She makes eye contact with him and looks down at the notebook. She turns the page to find diary entries and photographs of a young girl. The girl's blonde, young looking roughly thirteen to fourteen years old.

"She's called Natasha."

Nicki was about to say something but she doesn't. She presses her lips together and everything becomes clear. _He _stalks his victims before kidnapping them. That's how he knew where she was.

She felt a shiver run down her spine and she continued to flick through the pages.

He'd recorded everything. What she wore, where she was, what she did. Natasha was just a normal teenage girl who's life was going to change.

"Where do I find her?"

"She goes to a Youth Club. She'll be there until seven. You'll know who she is, if you don't, take a photograph with you. Don't even bother trying any funny business either, I want her and only her."

She nodded, swallowed hard and realised there was no escape.

/

Tom found out as much as he could about the Alphabet Killer.

He killed his victims exactly five days after they were kidnapped. He carved the first letter of their names into their stomach, Tom knew Nicki had been a victim, he'd seen the N for himself. She was the only survivor according to the police.

The only survivor to a deranged murderer.

"Think." He told himself, "Think about Nicki and her favourite places." He came up with none and any hope he had of finding her was slowly fading away.

/

Nicki approached the young girl. Her blonde hair was worn loose and she was wearing leggings and a teeshirt, teamed with a pair of converse. She noticed that he was engaged in another conversation at the far end of the park and smiled.

"Hi."

The girl, swinging on the swing looked around and stared back at Nicki, "You talkin' to me?"

"Yes."

The girl nodded but looked puzzled. Here was an adult in a playground, talking to her? She felt slightly uneasy, why would an Adult be in the playground and want to talk to her?

"Can I sit here?" Nicki asked and sat down on the other swing. She kept her eye on where he was and he'd gone from the other side. She took a deep breath and realised this was her chance.

"There's a man, he's a dangerous man and he's after you. Please believe me, I'm not drunk or high, I'm his victim. I'm Nicki. I'm the only survivor. He wants you instead of me. Go, just go."

The girl stood up from the swings, stared at Nicki and turned to run away. When she had gone, Nicki sighed. That girl had everything to live for. She didn't need to die, Nicki would take her place. She'd already accepted her fate.

/

The tight grip on her hair made Nicki realise she wasn't alone, "I said no shit remember?"

She swallowed hard as he yanked her up off the swing, "I agreed a plan with you. You didn't stick to your side of the deal so I'm not going to stick to mine." He laughed before she whispered;

"Go on, kill me." As she said it, he took out a knife from his pocket and pressed it into her back, "Do you want me too?"

* * *

**a/n: **if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave me a review.


	10. x — day three continued

**jottings** — thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter. ;3

/

CHAPTER NINE.

/

_on the first page of our story,  
the future seemed so bright,  
then this thing turned out so evil,  
i don't know why i'm still surprised._

/

She gasps as he plunges the knife into her back. Almost immediately she feels the pain, a dull ache and she falls to the floor. Shock sets in, she shivers as blood oozes out of her wound, the wound she can't see.

She scratches the concrete one last time as sleep comes to her.

Then there's nothing but darkness.

/

_"Unidentified female, found on Blackley park, stab wound to the lower back. GCS three, BP ninety over thirty and pulse forty."_

/

White.

White clouds, white sky, white floor. Everything is white.

/

_"She's arrested. Charging at 200."_

/

A figure also in white. The more Nicki steps closer, she sees it's Olivia, the girl she couldn't save.

"Olivia?" She reaches out to touch the girl and their finger tips almost touch. Then a shock of electricity runs through her body and the white's disappeared. In it's place is just darkness.

/

_"We've got an output, well done everybody."_

/

Just darkness. She can hear everything around her, the voices describing all sorts of medical procedures. Three words stick out more than the others; stab wound. Alone. Near death.

The machine starts to beep and the black is replaced by the white, again.

/

_"She's arrested again, charging at 200."_

/

Three figures. All dressed in white. She recognises Olivia and Millie, the two she met whilst captive. She hasn't seen the third girl before. She's brown haired, the letter P carved into her stomach.

"Come to us, come to us." They chant. She steps towards them, walks along the cold white floor and is almost there.

/

_"There must be a bleed somewhere that keeps causing her to arrest." _

/

She touches the palm of one of the girls. And the shock doesn't even touch her. She goes to touch the palm of the other girl with her hand . . .

/

_"Pulse check." Silence, "Charging again at 200."_

/

* * *

**a/n**: If you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review. I've got another AU idea for Tom/Nicki which I might start to write after this one but I'm not sure as I'm writing my other story at the moment. . . . So, what do you think of this chapter? (:


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